Historically, Australian agrifood research and development has been focused on productivity gains. The development and adoption of pest management solutions have been hampered by the segregation of researchers and their research processes from the farmers and land managers who are the intended recipients of research findings and solutions. 

This project will explore the pest and disease priorities of four horticultural industries within two regions of Australia (TAS and SA) to jointly develop relevant and effective control and management options. Experienced researchers and practitioners will apply an adapted Rapid Appraisal of Agricultural Innovation Systems (RAAIS) methodology to engage farmers, land managers and industry stakeholders across each of the two regions to identify core constraints and use this to direct the development of solutions.  

Findings from interview analysis will be used to co-develop regional cross-industry workshops to categorise constraints and brainstorm potential entry points for solutions. This will ensure that cross-industry stakeholders’ understanding of their interdependencies in crop protection and management systems is taken into account. A final national workshop will be used to test the co-developed findings across the industries and regions to prioritise both individual industry and cross-industry research and development priorities, providing inputs into the next stage of co-designed research and development investment. 

The project team will engage diverse industry stakeholders through interactive and inclusive processes, ensuring buy-in and ownership of shared knowledge. This includes identifying barriers to collaboration, enhancing knowledge exchange, and setting strategic research and development priorities to accelerate the adoption of area-wide integrated crop management. 

This project has been funded by Hort Innovation, using the research and development levies listed below and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.

• Onion Fund
• Potato – Fresh Fund
• Potato – Processing Fund
• Vegetable Fund